There are inventive ways to reuse every part of your Thanksgiving dinner—veggies, mashed potatoes, leftover stuffing—but here, we’re concerned with leftover turkey recipes.
Did you know that cooked turkey lasts for a few days in the fridge or up to two months in the freezer? It’s true. And while turkey breasts are great for a smaller holiday crowd, we’d venture to say it’s worth roasting a whole Thanksgiving turkey just to make a towering leftover turkey sandwich stuffed with bacon and blue cheese, or an herb-loaded shawarma. And there should always be nachos: Aside from various leftovers, all you need are a bag of tortilla chips, a hot chile, and some sour cream. Some go-to comfort foods don’t even require recipes. Say, take that cooked turkey meat and some canned chicken broth (or leftover turkey stock) and make turkey noodle or turkey and wild rice soup; or throw some shredded turkey meat into tacos; or make a creamy turkey chowder. But we digress.
Below, you’ll find our best leftover turkey recipes, so you can give that extra meat the second life it deserves.